Maybe I should back up and be more fair to Heaney as well. We had
a foot of snow and he had been at the university all day with students.
Perhaps he was just plain tired. But, of course, I had come to hear
Seamus Heaney - Irish-American as I am - and I was so disappointed.
As you state, yes, we have all had bad readings - or at least those
mediocre ones - so maybe I am being unfair when I hear a bad read.
Tom
>I understand that. Tom, & appreciate it. And I can bet Heaney might be
>bored & sound it. The time I enjoyed him (the times) were a) early in
>his career, when he still cared, & b) at a conference partly in his
>honour, where anyone, I would think, would be chuffed. I'm not a big
>fan, & actually feel that boredom in a lot of his later work. I'm sure
>Creeley has given poor readings; I'm sure we all have. But if you like
>doing them (I do) & have a good sense of how your poems should sound,
>then it should go well (I hope). I do know that in some cases hearing
>the poet read his or her own poems has made them finally come alive for
>me, & allowed me to go back to all their poetry & get so much more from
>it now that I can hear it better....
>
>Doug
>On 7-Mar-05, at 7:30 AM, Thomas Fallon wrote:
>
>>I am glad Creeley, or any poet, helped launch you, or anyone
>>in poetry. I am glad that you liked his reading.
>>
>>Three people have disagreed with me, which does not mean
>>he was not terrible when I read with him, but it means he was
>>good at other times. I did not contradict them.
>>
>>I walked out on Heaney. He was bored and it came across
>>as he spoke to a full house of an Ivy League university.
>>
>>Tom
>>
>>>I'm sort of with Doug here, Tom. Not only because it was one of
>>>his readings way back in the mid-sixties that launched me into
>>>the writing of poetry, but because I heard him do quite a nice
>>>reading in Baltimore just a few (well, maybe several) years ago.
>>>Maybe you could tell us just how he was terrible.
>>>
>>>Hal
>>>
>>>{ I wish I had been there with you to hear Creeley. I was reading
>>>{ on the same program that he was. (I will not vouch for my own
>>>{ reading.) He, honestly, was terrible. But, perhaps I am being
>>>{ unfair to him and should allow him an off night?
>>>{
>>>{ Tom
>>>{
>>>{ >Although I'm not a great fan of Heaney & am a great fan of
>>>Creeley, I
>>>{ >must disagree about both, at least in terms of my experience.
>>>The time
>>>{ >I've heard Heaney read I enjoyed his presence & his reading,
>>>but have
>>>{ >to add that most of the audience were also in a worshipping
>>>mode. The
>>>{ >one time I heard Creeley read, to an audience of about a
>>>thousand, he
>>>{ >turned that huge crowd into a couple of people across a small
>>>table in
>>>{ >someone's living room, & presented a sense of intimacy that was
>>>{ >amazing. Indeed, that is one of the greatest readings I have
>>>ever
>>>{ >attended, & I have attended a lot.
>>>{ >
>>>{ >I do agree that it helps if you know some of the poet's work,
>>>even if
>>>{ >not the poems s/he is reading that day.
>>>{ >
>>>{ >Doug
>>>{ >On 6-Mar-05, at 5:46 AM, Thomas Fallon wrote:
>>>{ >
>>>{ >>If I am hearing a poem for the first time, I have a difficult
>>>time
>>>{ >>understanding it as it is read by the poet. It is there and
>>>then
>>>{ >>gone. The spoken word does fly. I do not have the necessary
>>>{ >>time to think about the poem which has some depth of thought
>>>{ >>so I lose the poem completely.
>>>{ >>
>>>{ >>Most poets I've heard, including Seamus Heaney and Robert
>>>{ >>Creeley, do not read well. I don't really care if they do,
>>>but
>>>{ >>think they should educate themselves for their readers' sake.
>>>{ >>You expect poor readers at open mikes, but not on the
>>>{ >>international level.
>>>{ >>
>>>{ >>The two best poets I've heard introduced each poem well and
>>>{ >>read only short poems which did not have great depth of
>>>thought.
>>>{ >>They were not poems lacking in quality, however, and the poets'
>>>{ >>reading did enhance the poems.
>>>{ >>
>>>{ >>I have only enjoyed reading myself with a group with whom I am
>>>{ >>familiar. I do not mean close friends. I have definitely
>>>benefited
>>>{ >>from all my readings with the changes because of the changes
>>>{ >>I have made to the poems, even as I read.
>>>{ >>
>>>{ >>Tom
>>>{ >>
>>>{ >>>Thanks Alison.
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>The poetry reading is beginning to strike me as a very
>>>strange art
>>>{ >>>form.
>>>{ >>> For years I didn't enjoy them but I went anyway. Then I
>>>heard Alan
>>>{ >>>Dugan. Now I'm interested but mostly more to see the
>>>{ >>>behavior/approach
>>>{ >>>of the poet. Generally I can't really follow/hear the poetry
>>>that
>>>{ >>>well.
>>>{ >>> It's a very strange art form: the poet is almost a sacred
>>>relic of
>>>{ >>>the
>>>{ >>>poetry. That's the only excuse. Mercifully it's short.
>>>Also: the
>>>{ >>>poetry audience is unusual in that it's very heavy on poets,
>>>sometimes
>>>{ >>>exclusively
>>>{ >>>so. Sometimes readings give me time to think. Yet I love
>>>doing them
>>>{ >>>myself. Still I think they're hard enough to enjoy. I'm
>>>actually
>>>{ >>>quite
>>>{ >>>afraid of the audience when I'm attending a reading, but not
>>>when I'm
>>>{ >>>reading myself.
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>Mairead
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>>>> [log in to unmask] 03/05/05 7:20 PM >>>
>>>{ >>>On 6/3/05 3:08 AM, "Mairead Byrne" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>> Bob Perelman & Mairead Byrne read in Mike Gizzi & Mike
>>>Magee's
>>>{ >>>DownCity
>>>{ >>>> Series at Tazza, Westminster Street, on Tuesday March 8th
>>>at 7pm.
>>>{ >>>>
>>>{ >>>> The Poetry Reading -- I mean what *is* that about???
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>Have fun, Mairead - would love to be there.
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>And what _is_ it about? Any ideas?
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>Best
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>A
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>Alison Croggon
>>>{ >>>
>>>{ >>>Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
>>>{ >>>Editor, Masthead: http://masthead.net.au
>>>{ >>>Home page: http://alisoncroggon.com
>>>{ >>
>>>{ >>
>>>{ >>--
>>>{ >>Visit the Maine Poetry website for classic and contemporary
>>>{ >>Maine poets, poems, books, etc. - http://www.mainepoetry.com
>>>{ >>
>>>{ >
>>>{ >
>>>{ >Douglas Barbour
>>>{ >Department of English
>>>{ >University of Alberta
>>>{ >Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E5 Canada
>>>{ >(780) 436 3320
>>>{ >http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
>>>{ >
>>>{ >care to be more
>>>{ >precise about whatever
>>>{ >it is you are
>>>{ >saying, I said
>>>{ >
>>>{ > Bill Manhire
>>>{
>>>{
>>>{ --
>>>{ Visit the Maine Poetry website for classic and contemporary
>>>{ Maine poets, poems, books, etc. - http://www.mainepoetry.com
>>
>>
>>--
>>Visit the Maine Poetry website for classic and contemporary
>>Maine poets, poems, books, etc. - http://www.mainepoetry.com
>>
>
>
>Douglas Barbour
>Department of English
>University of Alberta
>Edmonton Alberta T6G 2E5 Canada
>(780) 436 3320
>http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
>
>care to be more
>precise about whatever
>it is you are
>saying, I said
>
> Bill Manhire
--
Visit the Maine Poetry website for classic and contemporary
Maine poets, poems, books, etc. - http://www.mainepoetry.com
|